Page 109 of To No End

The noise was deafening. The sound of the waterfall running straight through the center of Basdie with nothing to muffle or contain its power.

I walked across the slick stone, feeling the mist coating my skin. I stood there behind the waterfall as it crashed down in a constant show of unrestrained power; nature at its peak.

I fell to my knees, unable to quell my outburst any other way. I began to scream; I screamed over and over, my voice completely lost to the sound of the falls. I screamed until I was hoarse, fighting back the stinging tears trying to escape.

It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. Please, Gods, do not do this to me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Varro peer into the chamber. By now I was soaked from head to toe. I didn’t understand how he had found me. He beckoned me toward him, looking nervous.

I was not ready for this. I was never going to be ready. I wanted to jump into the falls and let it drown me, but something began to distract me. There it was again. The incessant humming that made my wet skin prickle and my hair stand on end.

Still trying to fight back tears, I walked carefully toward the exit making sure I didn’t slip and fall. When Varro shut the door behind me, I could finally hear my own thoughts again.

“Are you okay?” Varro asked exasperated.

I stood there silent, staring at him and unsure how to answer.

“Cress, you were shaking the entire damned mountain. What’s wrong? What happened?”

Oh no, I thought to myself. I had done it again. I had lost control. But now, something else consumed my focus completely.

“Moirai,” I said through gritted teeth, “What does it mean?”

Varro’s shoulders sagged and the expression on his face changed immediately. “It’s just a nickname, Cress.”

“What does itmean?” I demanded.

He took in a deep breath, looking like he’d had it knocked out of him.

Licking his lips, he met my accusing gaze and answered, “It means fated one.”

“No, it doesn’t!” I lashed out. “I know the literal translation for those words, and it’s not Moirai.”

“That’s because it’s the wordmypeople use for fated one.”

We stood there staring, locked into one another, silent tension the only thing keeping me from falling to my knees in shock.

“You… All this time. You’re my mate?”

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